Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498) was an Italian Dominican preacher and reformer who rose to prominence in Florence during the late 15th century. A member of the Dominican Order, he became known for sermons that denounced corruption, vice, and secularism within both civic and church life, calling for renewed piety and moral reform.

During the upheaval that followed the expulsion of the Medici in 1494, Savonarola gained influence as a spiritual and political figure in the Florentine Republic. He advocated for stringent moral reform, the suppression of luxury, and the reform of clerical life, and he turned religious fervor into a civic program that sought to reshape the city’s public culture.

In 1497, Savonarola organized the Bonfire of the Vanities, a public event in which items considered immoral, such as cosmetics, art, and books, were burned. His movement also promoted a austere social code and political puritanism, and he pressed for greater accountability in church leadership and civic government.

His opposition to certain secular powers and to papal authority led to growing conflict with the Catholic Church. He was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI in 1497, and the Florentine authorities eventually arrested him. He was executed by hanging, and his body was burned in 1498 in Florence, ending his direct influence on Florentine politics.

Savonarola’s legacy remains contested. He is remembered by supporters as a reformer who sought moral renewal, while critics view him as a figure who combined religious zeal with political power. His writings and sermons influenced later Catholic reform movements and have been cited as a precursor to certain elements of reformist thought.